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Wednesday, September 13, 2006

1) If you have a perfect golf swing you'll have a perfect game. 2) You can buy a better game 3) Technology has lowered golfers scores

Most every golfer subscribes to these beliefs in one way or another. The entire golf instruction, training aid, and golf club making market bear this out. Golf magazines, tv shows, and article after article offer tips, fixes, cures and virtually every imaginable training aid conceivable to craft the perfect swing. All with the pretense of helping you play better golf.

Well has it worked? Let's take a look...

In 1978 75% of all golfers never broke 90 - so barely 25% ever shot in the 80's.

In 2004, a full 26 years later, after the advent of 460CC drivers with 45" multi-kick point shafts, cavity back irons, balls that prevent hooks and slices, and world class instruction from the smartest minds in the buz, that number has been increased by a wopping 3%!

Now a full 28% of all golfers has broken 90! But hey, let's cut the industry some slack, there's only been 90+ billion spent on golf equipment over that time! That doesn't include lessons or training aids! All that technology and collective wisdom and this is how far we've come...impressive, huh.

Seriously, any other business that produced numbers like these for their customers would be out of business! But the golfing public has an insatiable appetite that an ever growing horde of manufacturers and marketers are more than willing to feed.

Ok, do you want to pay me now or later for the moral booster? What? This doesn't get you pumped about your prospects of dropping your handicap by 10 strokes by buying the next training aid?

You mean to tell me you're not going to do that $2,500 re-shafting, ball changing, loft angle adjusting, launch angle increasing, club-fitting session you had booked for next Saturday? Hmmm, was it something I said?

As golfers we are bombarded with instruction tips, training options, and product offerings that'll have your head spinning faster than Paris Hilton after swizzeling a half dozen Crantini's.

So where's the moral of this myth busting story? Do we all just give up trying to improve? Absolutely not. We all need to fulfill that important human craving of getting better at what we love. Yet where we place our attention to achieve this goal is what has to change. Our core beliefs about what causes improvement should be based on reality not myths. They should empower us, not encourage wishful thinking and needlessly empty our wallets.

"So if it isn't gear that makes us better maybe it's lessons," did I hear you say? Certainly lessons are an asset and obviously accelerate your skill development yet they're not absolutely essential. Ask Lee Trevino, Jim Furyk, Chris Dimarco and countless others who are self taught. And I think we can all agree that there isn't much "pretty" about any of their swings.

Do you think any of them were intent on crafting the perfect swing? Yet if we look at things from a different perspective maybe they do have perfect swings. Why? Because they work! Golf ain't a beauty contest.

In the final analysis there is only one area that promotes the quickest and most lasting change in any golfers game. And what's interesting about it is this is the only area that doesn't cost a penny to use yet almost no-one uses it!

That area is the often quoted 6 inches between your ears! Your mind. The mental game. Using your mind in a strategic, methodical and focused way is the surest method of lowering your scores. Period.

If you want to run out and spend $500 on a new driver and another $1000 or more on irons to make you play better, feel free. You might be that one in a million that changes the statistics. I realize we'll all buy nice gear once in a while but we can't buy it with a belief that this will seriously lower our scores.

True improvement only arrives when we first assess where we are in relation to our goal. Then we must take an inventory of all the things that have actually produced measurable results. Which means no denial! We can't hope to move our game to the next level by hanging on to a lie, now can we? If you do then that's what I call a real "hanging lie". Ok, that was a cheap pun but it was there for the taking...

Each and every one of us has the innate ability to tap our own potential and transform any part of our lives, including golf. We just require the right road map and a good compass to keep us on target.

It's time to wake up and smell the napalm or the myths that cloud our brains will keep us believing we can buy a better game.

About The Author

Wade Pearse is a Peak Performance Coach who specializes in golf. He used his own techniques to drop his handicap from 26 to 3 without lessons or training aids. Your outcomes are his focus and his strategies work. Guaranteed.

Saturday, September 09, 2006

So, you've been a member of your golf club for years now. You have become a regular participant in every tournament that is offered to you. You are really enjoying the social aspects of club membership and now somehow (you're not really sure how) you volunteered to head the awards committee. Screw this up and you can be sure you won't find yourself on the top of anyone's party invite list. Don't fear, here is an easy to follow guide on how to organize the task.

O.K., so where to begin? Let's start by taking inventory of the situation:

• When is the awards ceremony?

Why is this the first item on the list? Because most likely whatever it is you select is going to need to be personalized, and that takes time. Some items take longer than others, but no matter what you select, you won't be able to walk into an awards store or shop on line for personalized awards and walk out the door with your awards. You have to plan ahead. Sometimes, the last tournament of the season is very close to the awards event, what do you do then? The answer is to work well in advance with your awards source. Just because you don't have the winner's name for every last event, doesn't mean you can't place your order. Your source for awards should be flexible and willing to accommodate your last minute submission of names for one or two events, so long as you have selected all of the items and submitted the personalization for the majority of events in advance.

• Who are you buying for?

The men, the women, the juniors, all? This will probably have an influence on the type of items you shop for, particularly if you plan to get creative. If you are buying a traditional trophy, it won't make much difference, but these days most recipients will be hoping for something a little more useful than the traditional old dust collector. Today there are more and more types of items that can be personalized in unique ways.

For women, consider more feminine selections that either have a practical use or, can be proudly displayed in a living room, great room, or collector's case. For men, think more in terms of something that can be used by the recipients on a regular basis such as barware or desk accessories. Even embroidered sportswear can be used.

• What to buy?

For men or women, trophies can take many forms. For golf some of the more popular items include hollowware made from pewter or silver plated metal. These items can include trophy cups, Jefferson cups, Mint Julep cups, revere bowls, and trays. Bowls and trays are available in a range of sizes and that can be helpful when buying for 1st, 2nd and 3rd place winners. All of these items can be engraved to create a treasured keepsake that the recipient will value. Pewter is a soft metal that engraves beautifully. Silver plated items have a brighter finish, but will require regular polishing and are therefore less popular. Also, the quality of silver plate has diminished steadily in recent years as cheap imports have displaced old line suppliers from the United States.

Crystal and glass has become more and more popular in recent years. There are a number of reasons for this - the high perceived value, the vast variety of items available, and the appeal to both men and women for starters. Crystal is also available in a wide range of prices. Even when personalized, you will probably find that you can address all of your needs and remain within your budget using personalized crystal. And unlike engraving on metal, which is usually priced by the letter, crystal etching usually allows you fill an allotted space with any number of letters you desire, all for the same price. Barware, trays, bowls, tabletop items, clocks, picture frames, vases, trophies, art glass, plaques are all examples of items made from crystal that make great golf awards when personalized.

• Deciding how to personalize

When it comes to deciding what to engrave, the guideline is less is better. The club name or crest, the event name, the winner(s) name, and the year. Leave out the score or any testimonials describing the nature of the accomplishment. Be prepared with acceptable abbreviations, just in case an item you've selected has a limited space for adding personalization. Having the recipient's name is a great touch when you have the time, just be sure to triple check the spelling of names. If your award supplier is willing to except this information over the telephone, run away as fast as you can. Submit your personalization in written form, a word processing file being the very best way to go.

As you can see, with a little advance planning you will be able to look like a shinning star on awards day, just select your awards provider carefully. Trust your instincts, if you don't feel confident in the merchant's ability to supply your selections on time and correctly personalized move on to the next one. The same goes for shopping on-line. How is the appearance of the web site? Is it well organized? Are the product descriptions complete? Are the product photos large and clear? Is the price including personalization clearly displayed? Do they charge to ship your order? Call them - are you able to speak to a knowledgeable representative, or are you sent to voice mail? If these kinds of details are not well handled, then most likely, neither will your awards be produced to your satisfaction.

Article Source: http://articles-4-free.com

J. Newton is the President of, Lastingsentiments.com a multigenerational retailer of personalized products. With over 35 years of operating experience, Lasting Sentiments is a specialist in the engraving, etching and imprinting business. Visit their website today at www.lastingsentiments.com to buy personalized gifts online, including crystal barware, for yourself or for friends and family.

Sunday, September 03, 2006

Well, if your heart is set on “convenience” sports, you might want to consider kickball or four-square. Golf isn’t learned in a day. Or even a year. According to some players – even a decade is too short! There’s no such thing as a perfect golf game. That’s all part of the “beauty and beast” nature that makes up this simple, complicated game.

There are some fundamental tips, though, that can shave a few years of frustration off your career! Some golfers disagree on even the basics. So I guarantee you’ll find somewhere someone who will disagree with me. But here’s what I’ve found to help golfers tremendously in improving their game.

The three most important steps that you want to keep in mind all the time are • keep your head still • keep your club head traveling in a straight line while in contact with the ball • relax your muscles.

I really can’t say enough about the importance of keeping your head perfectly still throughout your shot. I’ve seen frustrated golfers of all sizes improve immediately upon concentrating on this one step.

When your head is still, you can see the ball clearly. And how can you hit something that you can’t see?

Keeping your club head traveling in a straight line while in contact with the ball will help you avoid slicing and a host of other ills.

Relaxation of your muscles aids tremendously in keeping your balance. Balance is paramount to a good golf game and you don’t want to have to brace your muscles all over your body. Stand comfortably so you can reach the ball easily. As far as propelling the ball is concerned. the muscles which add to the force are the muscles which twist the body around. They’re the most powerful. So relax those arms!

If your game is off, go back to these three important steps. Don’t change your stance or swing. Just go back to the three basics and you’ll get back on track.